Submitted To East-West Gateway Council of Governments Cities of Dellwood and Ferguson, St. Louis County
West Florissant Avenue Great Streets Project December 2013
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Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan Table of Contents
I. OVERVIEW .... 3 1.1 Introduction. 3 1.2 Project Background. 3 1.3 Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan Purpose & Approach... 3 II. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GOALS & OBJECTIVES..... 6 2.1 Involvement Program Goal. 6 2.2 Involvement Program Objectives 6 III. STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION & INVOLVEMENT APPROACH. 8 3.1 Stakeholder Identification Procedures 8 3.2 Stakeholder Involvement Expectations... 11 IV. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT TOOLS/ACTIVITIES..... 12 4.1 Public Involvement Tasks... 12 V. PLAN MONITORING..... 17
3 I. Overview
1.1 Introduction
The West Florissant Avenue Great Streets Project is a planning initiative sponsored by the City of Ferguson, Missouri; the City of Dellwood, Missouri; St. Louis County; and the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Led by MIG Inc., the planning process involves planners, architects, economists, public engagement experts, community stakeholders and citizens in a coordinated effort to enhance the social, economic and environmental vibrancy of the communities along the West Florissant Avenue Corridor. The resulting plan will build upon earlier planning efforts, principally the West Florissant Avenue Corridor Plan. While the new Great Streets plan will have as its focus the length of West Florissant Avenue spanning from Interstate 270 to the East-West rail line at Emerson Electric / Buzz Westfall Plaza shopping center, its implementation will aid the surrounding communities in generating greater economic activity and increased access to transit, amenities and neighborhood services.
1.2 Project Background
West Florissant Avenue is an automobile oriented commercial/service corridor that connects the City of St. Louis to North St. Louis County. It currently provides access to two regional centers, which include a Walmart, Sams Club, Target, and a high traffic Department of Social Services Office. Over the years, adjacent communities have initiated their own development plans, which have resulted in repeated business types, land vacancies, and a lack of coordination among merchants.
In 2010, the cities of Country Club Hills, Dellwood, Ferguson, Flordell Hills, and J ennings collaborated to develop the West Florissant Avenue Corridor Plan a comprehensive plan to redevelop the corridor. The plan called for a more unified and integrated West Florissant Avenue that would be accessible and safe for pedestrians, bicycles, public transit and motorists. It also recommended developing an array of unique shopping, dining, entertainment, housing and service opportunities that would support healthy, active living.
The Great Streets Initiative provides a flexible framework in which to pursue these outcomes and seeks to build on the economic and community assets within the West Florissant Avenue Corridor. The ensuing plan will position West Florissant Avenue to become a unified, beautiful, safe, and comfortable main-street that supports all commerce, users, and community interests.
1.3 Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan Purpose & Approach
Advancing an attractive and lively main street along West Florissant Avenue requires the involvement of community stakeholders and constituents throughout the planning process. The purpose of this document is to present a comprehensive approach to engaging impacted stakeholders and the general public in project planning efforts. As
4 such, it describes goals, objectives and tactics for advancing public awareness, comprehension, and participation in project activities. These components form the projects Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan (SPIP) and are subject to modification in response to changing internal demands and external realities.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The content featured in this SPIP complies with all federal and state laws, regulations, orders and directives regarding non-discrimination in federally assisted programs. Public outreach, marketing and involvement efforts, including the development of promotional materials and the hosting of public events will be conducted in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The project team will work closely with East-West Gateway throughout the planning process to make certain that environmental justice requirements concerning minority and low-income persons are adequately and appropriately addressed.
Among the specific actions the project team will take to ensure Title VI compliance are statements on all public meeting notices regarding the Act and the availability of special accommodations for the public if needed. Also, as part of the outreach process, the team will review demographic data from the 2010 U.S. Census to identify minority populations that may need special targeting. Lastly, Title VI brochures explaining citizens rights and protections will be distributed to all who attend the projects public meetings.
Guiding Principles
In addition to following Title VI statutes, the SPIP adheres to long-established public involvement principles that inform the scope and design of the projects outreach and engagement program. When practiced, these principles work to ensure that the program 1) adopts a process that is open and responsive to the different interests affected by area planning efforts; and 2) yields meaningful stakeholder and public participation in the projects decision-making. These principles, which include sustainability, transparency, accessibility, representation and results, are expounded upon below. Sustainability: Compels the project team to rely upon existing communications and outreach channels to raise awareness and involvement among community members and stakeholders. Working through established networks, like Live Well Ferguson and North County Inc., assures that trusted means of connection will be used to foster relationships with area stakeholders and affected publics.
Transparency: Works to make the planning process clear and easy to follow. The roles and responsibilities of the project team, stakeholder groups and the public at-large will be plainly and repeatedly articulated in order to manage expectations. Process participants will understand the part that they play in shaping the Great Streets plan. In addition, planning activities and events will be well publicized so that the public has ample notice of participation opportunities.
5 Accessibility: Maintains multiple points of entry into the planning process. Affected publics and stakeholder groups will be given a variety of ways to get involved from providing feedback online to participating as citizen advisors to attending community workshops. No matter when people enter into the planning process, they will be able to understand the logic of events and activities. As a result, they will be able to participate with ease and can provide input at various stages of project decision-making.
Representation: Means that a broad range of stakeholder and community interests will be taken into consideration throughout the planning process. Citizens issues, concerns and ideas will help guide plan outcomes. Here, representation is defined both in terms of demography that is participants physical and social characteristics (i.e. race, ethnicity, property ownership, etc.) and area of interest that is what motivates participants to get involved (i.e., residential, commercial, and/or environmental concerns, etc.). This approach attempts to invite all facets of Ferguson and Dellwoods populations, from the easy to reach to the hard to reach, into the planning process.
Results: Focus the project team on implementing a proactive public involvement program that is aligned with Great Streets project goals and effectively responds to community interests and needs.
By following these guiding principles, the project team will undertake a public involvement process that facilitates constructive exchanges of information and ideas between the public and the projects decision makers. This process will provide community stakeholders with multiple opportunities to share their comments and concerns about project objectives, activities and findings.
6 II. Public Involvement Goals & Objectives
2.1 Involvement Program Goal
The central aim of the public involvement program for the West Florissant Avenue Great Streets Initiative is to obtain meaningful participation in the planning process by community stakeholders and constituents. Accomplishing this requires that stakeholders and the public have an appreciation of planning parameters as well as an understanding of major project decisions and their implications. More specifically, meaningful participation is most likely to occur when the involvement program increases project awareness among stakeholders and the public; stimulates peoples interest in plan activities and findings; deepens comprehension of the plan and its eventual outcomes; and solicits constructive public input. These objectives are described below in greater detail.
2.2 Involvement Program Objectives
Raising Awareness
Expanding the communitys awareness of West Florissant Avenues improvement efforts requires the project team to provide clear, accurate and easily attainable information on the plans purpose, activities, and desired outcomes. To achieve this, the project team will:
Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with the City of Ferguson, City of Dellwood, St. Louis County and East-West Gateway so that all public information needs are expertly addressed and proper communications protocols are followed; Participate in regular planning and coordination meetings with the projects sponsors to assure the accuracy of information products and communiqus; Employ a variety of communications vehicles to deliver reliable, timely project information to the public and stakeholders; and Work with local information outlets to maximize the plans community exposure.
Generating Interest
While public information and awareness activities will deepen the communitys knowledge of the plan, they will not, by themselves, guarantee the publics interest in the planning process. Getting people to care about the plan means first helping them to understand how it impacts their quality of life. By focusing on the outcomes that matter
7 most to community members, like more jobs, small business success, better transit options and amenities, and walk-able commercial and service destinations, the team will shape a project identity that firmly establishes the plans relevance.
Promoting Understanding
Once community members are interested in the plan, the team will need to intensify its explanation of project issues as well as deepen its comprehension of stakeholders values, needs and priorities. Through stakeholder and steering committee meetings, the projects website, community open houses, and staff capacity building workshops, the team will facilitate learning and sharing around key plan components, including:
Examination of existing conditions, Concepts and alternatives analysis, Detailed street planning, Implementation planning, and Community engagement and collaboration.
Soliciting Input
Educating the community about the Great Streets planning effort will help prepare the public to provide meaningful input into the planning process. The more informed stakeholders and community members are about the projects purpose, the more likely they are to generate feedback that is helpful and insightful. To solicit stakeholder and community input, the project team will:
Meet with community stakeholders and advisory committee members; Maintain open lines of communication with civic and business interests, elected officials, educational and faith based institutions, and neighborhood residents; Hold four community workshops at key intervals throughout the process; and Employ a host of communication channels such as one-on-one interviews, online and off-line comment forms, post cards / flyers, door hangers, email messaging, newsletter inserts et.al.
Viewed broadly, this public involvement program is designed to cultivate stakeholder and public trust in the planning process. This trust is fostered through an accountable and responsive public involvement program that clearly connects the projects work to Ferguson and Dellwoods goals and needs.
8 III. Stakeholder Identification & Involvement Approach
3.1 Stakeholder Identification Procedures
One of the first and most critical steps of the SPIP is to identify project stakeholders. A stakeholder is defined as any person or organization interested in or directly affected by the projects activities. This usually includes, but is not limited to, residents or property owners, neighborhood groups, business owners and operators, elected/community officials, governmental resource agencies, special interest groups and religious and civic institutions.
The following is a proposed list to be refined and finalized in collaboration with the project sponsors. The list was drafted based on: 1) suggestions made by the project sponsors at the project initiation meeting, 2) names provided in writing by each of the project sponsors, and 3) additional community representatives identified through the teams own networks and knowledge.
Pro mittee Members: posed Community Advisory Com o Proposed by City of Dellwood: o Mel Lewis Complete Auto Body Patrick Bresnan Walgreens Patrick London Londons Wing Hou o Robbie Montgomery Sweetie Pie's o se
Proposed by City of Ferguson: o o John Corson Plan Commission Chair Paul Bines Resident in the study area o Florissant Marcia Pfeiffer President, St. Louis Community College o Valley Campus Dan Yonko Executive Director, YMCA Emerson Branch o Clark Properties o Tom Sailor Sailor Insurance Richard Johnson Property Manager, Otis & o Donald Stevens Resident in the study area
Project Sponsors: o Cordaryl Patrick City of Dellwood o Quincy Pierce City of Dellwood o Matthew Unrein City of Ferguson o Pam Hylton - City of Ferguson o Stephanie Leon-Streeter - St. Louis County o Gus Heck St. Louis County o Paul Hubbman East West Gateway Council of Governments o Christopher Michael East West Gateway Council of Governments
9 Additional Names for Consideration: o Lonny Boring Project Manager (Maline Greenway), Great Rivers Greenway o Rebecca Zoll Executive Director North County, Inc. o Mark Phillips Long Range Planner, Metro o Representative, Dellwood Business Association
Technical Advisory Committee Members: The TAC is a group that meets regularly, as described later in this document, to help the team assess the feasibility of alternative proposals throughout the project. TAC members are: o Cordaryl Patrick City of Dellwood o Quincy Pierce City of Dellwood o George Little City of Dellwood o Matthew Unrein City of Ferguson o Pam Hylton - City of Ferguson o Ken Barnadyn City of Ferguson o Stephanie Leon-Streeter - St. Louis County o Gus Heck St. Louis County o J ustin Carney St. Louis County o Adam Spector St. Louis County o Paul Hubbman East West Gateway Council of Governments o Christopher Michael East West Gateway Council of Governments
Stakeholders for One-on-One Interviews: The project team will conduct two rounds of interviews, as described in the next section of this document. Round One has been completed. Names for additional interviews will be collected from the project sponsors.
Stakeholders for Contacts Database: The following is a list of additional area contacts that would be included in important project communications, such as meeting announcements, to enlist their help in spreading the word to other community members and stakeholders.
West Florissant Avenue Property & Business Owners/Major Employers: o McDonalds Restaurant at 10873 West Florissant Ave o McDonalds Restaurant at 9131 West Florissant Ave o Walmart at 10741 West Florissant Ave o Sams Club at 10735 West Florissant Ave o Otis & Clark Properties North County Square at 10764 West Florissant Ave o Otis & Clark Properties North County Festival at 10865 West Florissant Ave o Northland Hills Shopping Center at 10438 West Florissant Ave o Springwood Plaza at 10148 West Florissant Ave
Elected / Community Officials: o Hon. Reggie J ones Mayor, City of Dellwood
10 o Ellis Fitzwalter Alderman, City of Dellwood, Ward 1 o Linda Cunningham Alderman, City of Dellwood, Ward 1 o Fred Haunold Alderman, City of Dellwood, Ward 2 o Selena Melton Alderwoman, City of Dellwood, Ward 2 o Karmann Gladney Alderwoman, City of Dellwood, Ward 3 o Richard Williams Alderman, City of Dellwood, Ward 3 o Mike Heil Alderman, City of Dellwood, Ward 4 o Bernice Lemonds Alderman, City of Dellwood, Ward 4 o Hon. J ames Knowles III Mayor, City of Ferguson o Mark J . Bryne Councilman, City of Ferguson, Ward 1 o Kim Tihen Councilman, City of Ferguson, Ward 1 o Dwayne T. J ames Councilman, City of Ferguson, Ward 2 o Tim Larson Councilman, City of Ferguson, Ward 2 o David Conway Councilman, City of Ferguson, Ward 3 o Keith Kallstrom Councilman, City of Ferguson, Ward 3
County Leadership: o Hazel Erby County Council, District 1 o Doug Rasmussen St. Louis Economic Development Partnership o Lt. Norman Campbell - Detail Commander, St. Louis County Police
State Leadership: o Rochelle Gray State Representative Technical Interests: o Larry Welty Area Engineer, MoDOT o Mark Phillips Long Range Planner, Metro o Floyd Renner Chief, Metro North Fire Protection District o Steve Rosenthal Chief, Ferguson Fire Department o Tom J ackson Chief, Ferguson Police Department o Ed Giancola Ferguson Municipal Services Manager o Ameren UE o MSD
Educational Institutions: o St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley Campus o Elaine Stevens Beauty College o Griffith Elementary School o Good Shepard Elementary School o Lemasters Elementary School o Woodland Elementary School o Kenneth C. Hanrahan Elementary School
Religious Organizations: o Oak Hill Baptist Church at 3166 Pershall Rd o North Hills United Methodist Church at 10771 Trask Dr o Bishop L.O. J ones Greater Grace Church at 3690 Pershall Rd
11 o All Creation Northview Holiness Family Church at 1442 Hudson Rd o Rev. Frank Proctor St. Peters United Church of Christ at 1425 Stein Rd o Northminster Presbyterian Church at 1570 Chambers Rd o Pastor Tommy Pearson Sr. Greater St. Mark Family Church at 9950 Glen Owen Dr o Bishop Melvin Dunn Christian Faith Center at 2003 Chambers Rd o Bishop Calvin Scott Believers Temple Word Fellowship at 2115 Chambers o Family of Faith MB Church at 9105 West Florissant Ave
Residential Interests (in and adjacent to the planning area). These include, but are not limited to: o Nesbit-Newton Neighborhood Association o Hudson Park / Hudson Hills Neighborhood Association o Ferguson Neighborhood League o Forestwood Neighborhood Association o Black Oaks Neighborhood Association
Civic / Community Organizations: o Christine Romo Officer, St. Louis County Police, Dellwood Citizens Police Academy o Chuck Henson - PR.O.U.D. (People Reaching Out for Unity and Diversity) o Bob Giddens Kiwanis Club of Ferguson o Patti Knowles Ferguson Caring League o Kevin Schuh Live Well Ferguson
3.2 Stakeholder Involvement Expectations
Meaningful connections with project stakeholders will help the team develop a plan that is community supported. Recognizing this, the team expects that stakeholders involved in project planning will share their issues, concerns and priorities and help build public interest and involvement in the plan. Input received from stakeholders and the public will be incorporated into the plans findings and considered by the project team.
12 IV. Public Involvement Tools/Activities
The public involvement and communications activities presented on the following pages describe the core work of the SPIP and are the primary means by which its goals and objectives will be achieved. Responsibility for the coordination and execution of these activities rests with the project team.
4.1 Public Involvement Tasks
Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan
The Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan (also referred to as the Public Engagement Plan) describes the range of activities the project team will undertake to engage stakeholders and affected publics in plan development and decision-making. It also outlines the goals and objectives of the involvement process; identifies key stakeholder groups; and clarifies the specific communication strategies, meeting schedules and expected outcomes of the engagement process.
Deliverables: Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: December 6, 2013 Associated Outreach: None Required
Stakeholder Interviews
The project team will conduct interviews with institutional, civic, and business stakeholders. These meetings will be approximately one hour in length and while the insights from them will be shared, individual participants comments will not. The interviews will be conducted in two rounds. The initial interviews will be a listening tour to ascertain the concerns, issues and desires of stakeholders for the corridor. The second round of interviews will continue a listening approach but also seek out merchants and land owners to discuss and identify strategies to enhance the value and marketability of their properties. The issues and ideas captured from these interviews will inform the project teams analyses and be incorporated into the draft plans findings, where appropriate.
Deliverables: Interview Protocol and Guide Stakeholder List Stakeholder Interview Summary Report Summary Document of Stakeholders Consensus Issues & Ideas Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: Round One Interviews November 2013 Round Two Interviews January 2014 Additional interviews to occur as needed throughout the project
13 Associated Outreach: Performed by Project Team
Public Outreach and Information The project team will develop a variety of public outreach and information mechanisms to generate awareness of and involvement in the projects planning activities. Interviews will be conducted in early to mid-December with to ascertain in detail the best methods of outreach, which will be incorporated into the SPIP. In general, the communications and outreach tactics will include, but are not limited to the following:
Project graphic identity (logo) Project website containing up to 10 pages of project content and information. This website will include an interactive map for people to make comments, a survey, that will be designed at a future point in the project, meeting announcements and agendas, and a document library where people can view draft and final plan documents. Electronic collateral like e-blasts and e-newsletters that are distributed to community groups and stakeholders Direct mail (to households, businesses and institutions within mile radius of the project corridor) Door-to-door notices / flyers (to households, businesses and institutions within mile radius of the project corridor) Roadside signage, such as yard signs or a roadside digital sign Project briefings (2) with Ferguson and Dellwood elected officials Social media connections through project sponsors Facebook and Twitter platforms Maintenance of a contact database to facilitate connection with project stakeholders and interested parties
Deliverables: Public Outreach & Information Mechanisms Listed Above Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: Ongoing Associated Outreach: Performed by Project Team
Community Advisory Committee Meetings
A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will meet three times (3) throughout the planning process at key intervals. The CAC will help define the project goals, vision, and alternatives as the plan takes shape. During the first meeting, the project team will introduce its work, identify project goals and aspirations, create a list of issues and ideas, review work completed to date including the Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan, discuss any pertinent background information and outreach opportunities, and review existing conditions for the corridor.
The focus of the second Committee meeting will be to review, refine ideas and alternatives for the West Florissant Avenue Corridor. Taken together, the vision and
14 goals will fulfill the Great Streets principles and capture the needs and desires of the Dellwood and Ferguson communities. At this meeting, the project team will conduct an interactive work session to obtain feedback on its initial plan options prior to presenting them to the public. This meeting will be held in conjunction with a Technical Advisory Committee meeting.
The third and final Committee meeting will be held in May 2014 and will provide the project team with an opportunity to share the draft plan and solicit input on its contents. Committee members feedback will help further refine the draft plan, which will be presented to the public at the final community workshop. Following each meeting, the team will summarize key discussion items and findings. This meeting will be held in conjunction with a Technical Advisory Committee meeting.
Deliverables: Meeting process design and facilitation protocol Summary Report Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: CAC Meeting 1 Week of January 27, 2014 CAC Meeting 2 March 2014 CAC Meeting 3 May 2014 Associated Outreach: Performed by Project Team
Community Meetings, Workshops & Open Houses
Four times during the planning process, the project team will present its work to the Dellwood and Ferguson communities and public-at-large via interactive, community workshops / open house. The team will obtain input from stakeholders to inform the overall messaging for the workshops. For instance, these workshops may be called Vibrant Dellwood or Ferguson Nights. Targeted messages will be developed based on initial stakeholder feedback.
The first two workshops will provide an opportunity to introduce the project to the Dellwood and Ferguson communities individually, engaging their respective publics in identifying opportunities, challenges, assets and their future vision for the corridor. The third workshop will review draft concepts and obtain feedback. The final workshop will engage the public in a review and assessment of the draft Master Plan. This meeting will also be a time to celebrate the plans completion with the public.
The workshops will consist of a public presentation, information boards, and keypad polling when relevant. This process will be followed by interactive activities that obtain community feedback, build consensus, and advance the design of the corridor. Following each workshop, the project team will summarize community input in a document that is disseminated to project sponsors and advisory committee members. The document will also be posted on the projects webpage in a downloadable format.
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Deliverables: Meeting process design and facilitation Meeting facilities design Digital copies of presentation boards or presentation Summary reports Keypad Polling Results Refreshments Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: Workshop 1 & 2 February 1, 2014 Workshop 3 March 2014 Workshop 4 May 2014 Associated Outreach: Performed by Project Team Website Posting, Direct Mail (for 1/2 mile radius), Door-to-Door Advertisements (1/4 mile radius of corridor), Phone Calls to select Attendees, E-Blasts (to those in projects database), E-Newsletter postings Performed by Project Sponsors Roadside information signs along corridor, social media posts on sponsors Twitter and Facebook pages, announcements in e-newsletter
Ongoing Stakeholder Engagement & Technical Review
The project team will develop a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to provide a technical review of the corridor plan as it is developed. This committee will include key personnel from the sponsors engineering and operations departments and other key technical stakeholders, including local fire and/or police departments.
The planning team will conduct the first technical review meeting to outline major goals and assets, challenges and opportunities for the corridor. The second meeting will be combined with a capacity building workshop with sponsor representatives and other public agency employees who will be involved in the final design, approvals, and construction of the project. The final two TAC meetings will be combined with Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings to review and refine alternatives and the final draft master plan.
Since West Florissant Avenue is a St. Louis County roadway, team members will ensure that all traffic analyses and proposed planning initiatives conform to St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic processes and are approved by the agency. Additionally, the project team will work with the City of Dellwood, the City of Ferguson, St. Louis County, MSD, Ameren UE, and Metro to confirm key technical constraints as well as identify specific planning opportunities. For each meeting, team members will develop a presentation and prepare a summary of participants feedback.
Deliverables: Meeting process design and facilitation
16 Summary Reports Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: TAC Meeting 1 November 2013 TAC Meeting 2 Week of January 27, 2014 TAC Meeting 3 March 2014 TAC Meeting 4 May 2014 Associated Outreach: Performed by Project Team
Capacity Building Workshops
During the plan development, the project team will meet with agency staff from each of the projects sponsoring communities. At this meeting, staff members will increase their awareness of the Great Streets Program and Context Sensitive Solutions that can be utilized in their work. The meeting will also include members of the TAC.
At the close of the project, the project team will meet with Project Sponsors and other critical stakeholders to review implementation next steps. As with all project meetings, team members will prepare a presentation and later develop a summary of participants comments.
Deliverables: Presentation Summary of Feedback Accountable Party: Project Team Timeframe: Workshop 1 January 2014 Workshop 2 May 2014 Associated Outreach: Determined by Project Sponsors and Technical Advisory Committee
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V. Plan Monitoring
This Stakeholder and Public Involvement Plan (SPIP) will be regularly reviewed for effectiveness and amended as appropriate. It is an evergreen document that may be updated by the project team during the six-month planning period. Should the SPIP need to be modified, team members will do so in a transparent manner that preserves the integrity of the public involvement program.